Film drier



Sept.- 3, 1929.

G. W. HOPKINS vFILM DRIER Filed Dee. 7, 1927 2- Sheets-Sheet l 7 Ewen 20% .M

Sept. 3, 1929. A G. w. HOPKINS 'l F'ILM DRIER Filed Dec.*7. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 0 2 0 0 3 l 3 fr lll M Il Il: MHMHHH. .hunny y irl N HUH -Ilm -Ill MMU .,..H-,.y ilill A..-|||L |Il| l s IIIIV f f /I 7// /Jfoo ,2 .U f

Patented Sept. 3, `1929.

UNITED `STATES GEORGE W. HOPKINS,

F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

FILM DRIEB.. y

Application led December A lapse of time between exposure and interpretation hinders the Roentgenologists in their work and oftentimes is disadvantageous to the subject of the film.

A number of methods for drying lms are now employed but are objectionable in that the time required for drying the film is entirely too long, or with the quicker methods heat is employed which is quite ,dangerous inasmuch as the films are composed. of very 20 inflammable and explosive materials. However, with the labove methods of drying the result is very unfavorable as the minimum time required for drying usually exceeds one hour, and where a great number of exposures are made during a day, this delay materially handicaps the work of the Roentgenologists.

The principalfobject of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a film drier which will greatly vreduce the time now required to dy films even with the best apparatus at present available and which will dry the films with absolute safety. More particularly, it is one of the chief aims of the invention to provide a lm drier which enables a lm to be v dried and, therefore, interpreted within a few minutes after exposure and development so as to dispense with the necessity'of waiting a relatively long time for the film to dry, and, as a result avoid unnecessary delays which areoften dangerous. s

i In carrying out the inventiomndrying of the film. is accomplished exceedingly quickly and eiiciently by supporting the film in prefer-l .ably a vertical position and directing rrents of air luider pressure upon/opposite Sides of the film simultaneously and proportionately'distributerd over the entire surfaces. This causes the film to be dried simultaneously and quicklysjthroughoutv its entire area 5o without staining or otherwise injuring the 1y as* an operator can remove the .dried films 7, 1927. Serial No. 238,390.

and replace them with films to be dried. In carrying out this -feature of the invention, it is an object to provide an eiicient drier of the type referred to and at the same time provide a drier which is compact and occupies very little floor space, which in itself is a considerable advantage over the apparatus at present available and employed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the air in passing therethrough is deflected or broken up into a plurality of streams of air and caused to be distributed in proper proportions and pres'- sures over the various surface areas of the film to thereby effect simultaneous drying of the lm. i

l/Vith the objects above indicated and other objects hereinafter explained in view, my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings Fig. l is a front elevational view of a drier embodying the present invention and partly shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on-line2-2 Pof Fig. 1. y

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view -showing the relative position of a lm within the drier.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the front lower portion of the drier showing the manner of supporting the films to be dried,

In the drawings, I haveillustrated a pair of driers adapted for drying films according to my method for the reason thatthis arrangement has proven `most efficient in actual practice, although it should be understood 95 that I `am not to beilimited to this precise structure inasmuch as any number ofilms may be dried in the manner to be described and various types of apparatus may be pro vided for carrying out the principle invplved. 100

The-driers shown in the drawings consist of a pair'of'side members 10l suitably spaced apart, and secured thereto is,a top member 11 and a bottom member 12,' the latterbeing provided with legsl for suitably lsupporting the 105 driers. `A vertically extending central partiftion 14 i'ssecured to and extends transversely of the top member 11 and bottom member 12, dividing the structure into substantially `two separate driers and the description of the con- 110 struction of one of these driers will suflice for both. This arrangement of the driers forms no part of the present invention and is a mat ter ofconvenience in constructing the drier and utilizing as little floor space as possible. Each of the driers is rovided with a hori- Zontally positioned partltion 15 secured to the side members 10, thereby dividing the drier into an upper or air distributing compartment 16 and a lower or film drying compartment 17, the purpose ofwhich will be later described. i

The upper compartment 16 has a front member 18 and a back member 19 secured to the end members 10 and the top and horizontal partitions 11 and 15 respectively so as to entirely enclose and substantially seal the air distributing compartment 16.

The horizontal partition 15 is provided with a plurality of elongated openings 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, to permit the air which is introduced into the distributing compartment 16 to pass out therefrom and into 'contact withthe films to be dried.

The lower or Elm drying compartment 17 is provided with a plurality of hollow units 21 suitably spaced apart as shown in Fig. 5, in which space a film is adapted to be Suipported. Each o these units 21 is divided y a vertical partition 23, therebyl providing a pair of air chambers 24, one on each side of said partition, which communicate respectively at their upper portions with the openings 20 in the horizontal partition 15. rll`he side walls 25 of the units have transverse apertures 26 substantially centrally thereof, and extending radially therefrom are a plurality of slots 27. These'slots are so arranged that the required proportional distribution of the air over the various areas of the films is produced.

At the lower portion of each partition 23 and upon opposite sides are tapered surfaces 27 which `tend to assist in the distribution of 'the air. To direct. the air from the distributing compartment 16, a pair of defiectors or bafiies 28 are securedv to the lower portion of the front and back members 18 and 19 and extend downwardly towards the openings 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Depending from each end` of the openings 20 and secured within the upper portion of each air chamber 24 are members 30 forming with the partition 23 and the side members 25 a restricted throat through which the air passes enroute to the air chambers 24 and thence to the films. l s

. The lms, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral 31, are supported in a suitable wire frame 32 which slides in rooves or guideways 33 supported between t te side membersf25 at the topV and bottom. The film is substantially the same size as the extremities of the radial slots 27l so `that the air is directed proportionately over the entire area of the film, and, because of the arrangement of the air chambers 24, upon both sides of the .film at once, thereby causing the film to be `dried over both of its entire surfaces simultaneously.

To `further effect the proper distribution 'of the air from the distributing compartment 16 to the air chambers 24, aplurality of baffles 34 are secured, as shown in Fig. 2, Within the air chambers adjacent the restricted throat.

Air is delivered to the distributing chamber 16 by rotary blowers 35 actuated by a motor or other means (not shown), through an opening 36 in the top member 11. The air within the distributing compartment is maintained under pressure reater than atmos heric and consequently is orced-outwardl t rough the openings 26 onto both sides oft e film simultaneously and proportionately over the entire surface, resulting in the drying of the film in a few minutes' and withoutstainingfor injuring the lm in any manner.

In the operation of the drier, the blowers v 35 are started andan air pressure is built up in thedistributing chamber 16. The films 31 are loaded in their holders 32 'and together are slid into the grooves or guideways 33 until the film is properly positioned within the space 21 adjacent the openings 26 and radial slots 2 7. rIhe air under pressure greater than atmospheric is forced through the openings 20 in the horizontal partition 15 into theV air chambers 24 and thence through the openings 26 and radial slots 27 onto both sides of the films 31. 'Due to the arrangement of the slots 27 and the baffles 34, the air is defiected. and distributed in proper proportions, under proper pressures over the various surface areas of the films. As a result, the entire area is dried simultaneously and without staining or injuring the film in any manner.

After the drying compartment 17 is once loaded with films, each film is completely dried in a few minutes or about as fast as the operator can remove a dried film, reload the holder, and replace it inthe drying compartment.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that a great amount-of time is saved by employing an apparatus which operates according to the method above described, and because of the compactness of the device, very little door space is required for a large production.

Having thus described my invention, I

tionately distributing the air under varying degrees of pressure over the ilm surfaces toA cause the various surface portions of the latter to be dried simultaneously.

.3. The method of drying lms which consists in directing streams of'air of diderent pressures into contact- With the surfaces of the film to therebycause the various surface portions of the film to be dried simultaneously.

4. The method of drying films which comprises subjecting the surfaces of wthe film to the flow of proportionatelyl distributed air above atmospheric pressure to thereby cause the various portions of said surfaces to be dried simultaneously.

5. The method of drying films which comprises directing air onto both sides of the film and over the various surface portions of the surfaces thereof in proportion as is needed to dry said surface portions simultaneously. l

6. The method of drying films which comprises directingair streams onto both sides of the lm and against the various portions of the, surfaces thereof, the volume of said streams being in proportion as is needed to dry said various portions simultaneously.

7. The method of drying films which comprises directing air streams onto both sides of the iilm and over the various portions of the surfaces thereof, the pressure of -the air supplied to said streams being in proportion as is needed to dry said various portions simultaneously.

8. The method of drying films whichcomprises distributing air to the various surface portions of both surfaces of the film in proportion' as is needed to dry said surface portions simultaneously. Y

9. In a drier for films and the like, a film holder adapted to support a film, and-means for directing a flow of air onto both sides of the film simultaneously, and means for directing and proportionately distributing said iow onto the various portions of the surface area of the film to dry said various portions simultaneously.

- 10. In a drier for films and the like, a film holder adapted to support a film, means for directing a flow of lair above atmospheric pressure onto both sides of the film simultaneously, and means for directing and prol' ously, and means for directing and proportionately distributing the flow of air onto the various surface portions of both sides of the lm to dry said portions simultaneously.

12.* In a drier for films and the like, an air dlstrlbuting compartment, means for delivering air to said compartment, a film drying sides simultaneously.

13. In a drier for films and the like, a drying compartment, means for supporting a plurality of films in said compartment, means for delivering air to said drying compartment on both sides of said supporting means simultaneously, and means for directing and proportionately distributing the How `of air against the various surface portions of both sides of said film to drysaid portions simultaneously.

14. In a drier for films and the like, a drying compartment, means for lsupporting a plurality of films in vertical position in said compartment, and means for directing air streams of different pressures above'atmospheric onto the various surface portions of both sides of thelms simultaneously.

15. In a drier for ilms and the like, an air distributing compartment, means for supplying air thereto under pressure, a drying compartment, means Afor supporting a plurality of lmsin said drying compartment to be dried, means for admitting air from said distributing compartment to said drying compartment on opposite sides of the supporting means simultaneously, and means for directing and proportionately distributing the air in streams against the various surface portions of both sides ofthe filmssimultaneously to dry said various portions at a Uniform rate.

16. In a drier for lms and the like, an air Y tions of both sides of the lms to dry the lat-V ter uniformly throughout.

17. In a drier for films and the like, a pair of spaced air chambers, means for supplying air thereto under pressure, means for supporting a film between said chambers, and means for directing the air onto the various surface portions of both sides of the lm in proportion as is needed to dry said surface portions simultaneously.

18. In a drier for films and the like, a piurality of air chambers spaced a art, means for supplying air thereto, means or supporting films between said chambers, baffles in said chambers, and discharge openings from said chambers through which 'said air passes into contact with both sides ofA said lms propor- 4 massa;

tionately throughout ,their surfaces to theretially central opening and radial slots extendby dry bothlsides of said films simultaneing therefrom. ously. s 21. IThe method of drying films which com- 19. In a drier for ilms and the like, an air prises directing a flow of air under pressure 20 5 distributing compartment, means for supplyronto the surface of a lm so as to causea ing air above atmospheric pressure to said greater volume of air to flow over those por.- compartment, a plurality of air chambers tions of the iilm surface which have a higher communicating with said compartment and moisture 'content and a lesser volume of air spaced apart, and means for supporting films to flow over those portions which have a lower 25 10 between said chambers, said chambers having moisture content, whereby the various suroutlet openings for said air adapted to dis face portions of said ilm are dried substantribute the latter proportionately over the entially simultaneously. tire surfaces of the films to thereby dry both In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my sides thereof simultaneously. signature. 15 20. In a film drier, a member adapted to be l positioned adjacent a film having a substan- GEORGE W. HOPKINS. 

